New Evidence Suggests that E-cigarette can help Smokers Quit

According to a new study, smokers who used e-cigarettes in an attempt to quit smoking were 60 percent more likely to succeed than those who used alternative means like nicotine patches and gum.

Researches from Britain surveyed a total of 5,863 who tried to quit smoking between 2009 and 2014, a period when e-cigs gained popularity. The findings have been published in the journal Addiction. About 20 percent of those who said they used e-cigarettes to quit smoking in the past one year said that they weren’t smoking during the study’s period.

Thomas J. Glynn, researcher at American Cancer Society who was also part of the research team, says that the study does not solve issues of e-cigarettes but provides evidence that e-cigs can, in real-word, be useful in helping smokers quit. He however notes that the tool is not a revolutionary one.

The study comes at a time when governments are battling to regulate the $3 billion e-cigarette market. According to Jamie Brown, researcher in the University College London in the Department of Clinical Education and Health Psychology, the results forms a part of growing indication that e-cigs should be considered for licensing.

A few weeks ago, the Food and Drug Administration proposed to extend its regulation in the tobacco industry to include e-cigarettes. Some states such as Los Angeles, Chicago and New York have banned smoking e-cigs in certain public places.

A major concern has been whether the puffing of nicotine vapor in a battery powered gadgets can be a gateway for teens to start smoking real cigarettes. A survey conducted by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found out that 10 percent of high school students used e-cigarettes in 2012 which is an increase from 4.7 percent in 2011.